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About The Buzz: You Can Choose What Body Areas You Want To Trim Down?

WHAT THEY’RE SAYINGDoing certain exercises or eating certain foods can help you trim down specific areas of your body.

WHAT WE KNOW

What’s the secret recipe for losing belly fat? What foods will slim down the thighs?

When starting an exercise routine or deciding to change their eating habits, many consumers have the perception that there’s a formula—a certain combination of foods or a certain type of exercise can directly target where the weight will come off (e.g. stomach, arms). Well, there is one—eating a healthy and balanced diet and getting adequate physical activity!

You can’t, unfortunately, target exactly where you want to lose weight. As you begin to lose weight (through healthy eating and exercising), it will come off many areas of your body—sometimes not the exact part you’d like—but eventually you will hit the spot!

HOW DO WE KNOW THIS?

The stomach area is, predominantly, where most Americans want to lose weight, right? But after a few weeks of doing nothing but crunches every day, your stomach is still the same size—why? While doing toning activities (strength training) is very important and essential to any weight loss plan/healthy lifestyle, doing cardio activity (jogging, walking, dancing, using an elliptical, etc.) and eating an adequate diet are also essential. You could, in fact, have very strong and toned abdominal muscles, but until you lose the weight that is surrounding them, you’ll never see them.

To lose weight, you must expend (e.g. walking, exercising, watching TV, cooking, and all of your other daily activities) more calories per day than you consume. If you are consuming less calories, the deficit will result in decreased weight.

OUR ADVICE

With all of the dieting and fitness news available, it’s easy to become overwhelmed! Make it simple, stick with a proven method—adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Exercise. Engage in 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate activity per week or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity, and do strength training 2 or more times per week.

Balanced Diet. Eat a balanced diet consisting of foods from all food groups.

Nutrient-Rich Foods. Get the most ‘bang for your buck’ when it comes to food! Choose foods that offer the highest amounts of nutrients per calorie. See Calorie Comparison Chart